


The Matron's Wrath

by Koofins



Series: Dark Tide [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Comfort, Hurt, Mother-Daughter Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-09-21 16:10:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9556463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koofins/pseuds/Koofins
Summary: Many centuries and generations after the Great War of the Old Republic has ended, legends are still spun about its heroes and villains. There are a rare few who know the legends are true, and the legend of The Matron, the one once known as The Wrath, is one that we are proud to share time and again. And now, it's time for its telling to begin again, for one who needs to hear it the most....





	

**Author's Note:**

> The introduction to Dark Tide! This kept nagging at me as a good start to the story, and also introduces how much influence the story has with characters that existed well before L'hana did. Hope you folks enjoy this little snippet. <3

**Glossary:**  
_Tii'lean Words/Pronunciation:_  
Tii'le: _Tai-LEE._ The All-Syre. They who brought the Tii'lean into being  
Saii've: _SIGH-EEv-ay._ Green stone  
Tii'lean: _Tai-LEEN._ Tii'le's progeny, separated by many generations. A race of sentient humanoids with an abnormally strong connection to the Living Force  
Kiit'jii: _Kite-jeh._ Dear one.  
Jii: _Jeh._ Love.

\- - - -

I can always tell when she's troubled.

A mother's intuition is a powerful thing, but with her, it's much more than that. It has always been much more than that. At times, it was frightening. When I still carried her within me, the moment she came into being, I knew. I could feel her.

When her heart is aching, broken, or troubled, I can tell. Not unlike the sensation that one has when storms begin to form over The Syre's oceans, a slowly creeping sense that you must prepare.

Children are, sadly, cruel. My daughter does not yet understand this. One day, I hope she will, but for now, she does not understand their cruelty. I'm not sure where it came from, but she was born with this...deep set belief that all of us have only room for kindness and love in our hearts.

When the Jedi return for her, I can only hope that she'll have grown out of this....

There are tears on her round, chubby cheeks, though she's tried to wipe them all away with her sleeve. But the rawness around her nose and eyelids tells me otherwise when I find her standing behind me in the kitchen. Her eyes are pink around the edges, clashing against the light green of her irises, and she blinks owlishly at me in an attempt to keep tears from welling.

She manages to keep a brave face for all of five seconds, her body still except for the hiccups of the sobs she's holding in. With a slowly building wail, she falls to her knees, her face crumpling up to express the depths of her hurt.

“Mm-Maahhhh.....” The attempt to call for me is broken apart by her tears, and she weeps, kneeling before me on the kitchen floor.

It jabs at me like a shiv, and each body jerking sob that she lets out twists the blade. I'm quick to scoop her up, cuddling her against my chest and tucking her head under my chin as I hold her. I brush past my husband as I carry her up the stairs to her room, and as soon as the door closes, her words gain some coherence.

This time, the insults of the children who meet to be taught by our elders have become personal. It's something I might've done, teasing someone for their green eyes. Despite breaking free of their imprisonment centuries ago, we still hold onto some of the core instincts our 'makers' gave us. From the second she'd opened her eyes, I had known this was nothing but stupid superstition, and had realized all along how beautiful green eyes had always been to me. But it's their angry accusations that she's a monster, not like anything found on Tii'le, that turned my vision red.

“Saii've,” I say, over and over until she can finally hear me calling softly to her. Her eyes focus on me, and in them I see...fear. Worry. And I know that those little brats have already taken a small scrap of her innocence. With a sigh, I push an errant lock of jet hair back against her scalp, pressing my forehead to hers. “Saii've, _Kiit'jii_ , listen to me. To me, _jii_ , to me. Do you remember what I've told you about your eyes?” She sniffles and nods. “Do you remember the tapestry of our ancestors?” Another nod. “What holds the family safely in its claws?”

“Th-the Dragon,” Saii've responds. I nod approvingly, reaching up to wipe the tears off of her cheeks.

“The Dragon is our matron, _Kiit'jii_ ,” I tell her. “She watches over us. She founded our clan, long, long before even your grandmother was born. Saii've, do you think the Dragon is a monster?”

“No!” Saii've blurts the word out, almost defensively, and both of us draw back a little from one another. She thrusts her chin at me belligerently, still hiccuping from tears, somewhat ruining the image of someone fit to defend one of our clan's first ancestors. “The Dragon made this clan! She isn't a monster!”

“She was not a monster, dear.” Saii've's expression falls again, more shocked than upset, and confused.

“Was?” She tilts her head. “She's gone?”

“Dead,” I say, and the blood of my ancestors as far back as I'm capable of being linked to release a wave of sadness. “She's been dead for many...many years, I'm afraid.” I glance at my daughter and see she's felt that sadness, too. Though it shows more acutely on her than I felt it when I'd first heard the story of our Matron, and that gives me pause. As though I'm telling her about the death of one of our neighbors, or an aunt, a sibling. Certainty fills me as I tell her, “She was a lot like you.”

“She was?” Hope, delight fills her as she grips my tunic sleeves, leaning towards my face, as if being closer will tell her whether I'm sure or not. I chuckle and settle back into the large chair in one corner of the room, and Saii've settles until she's comfortable in the strength of my arms.

“Yes, _jii _,” I tell her. “A soul so bright it could light up the entire galaxy, if she'd tried, with all of its darkness and cruelty. Though the universe dealt her a terrible hand, taking everything she'd ever thought she needed in life in one hour, eventually, she would find a way back home. That no matter what she did, she could always find love in her heart, for others, but most importantly, for herself.”__

__There is a pause. Saii've's eyes turn up to meet mine._ _

__“What was her name, Ma?”_ _

__Despite the fact that the name given to our Matron when she was alive had been forgotten generations ago, I know her name. We both do, and Saii've's grip on my sleeve tightens as I say it outloud._ _

__“L'hana. Her name was L'hana.”_ _

**Author's Note:**

> I enjoy writing first-person present-tense stuff, but sometimes I flub, so if anyone sees any mistakes, lemme know! <3


End file.
